Association of juxtapapillary diverticula with choledocholithiasis but not with cholecystolithiasis

Juxtapapillary diverticula are often associated with biliary lithiasis. The aim of this study was to compare the prevalence of juxtapapillary diverticula in choledocholithiasis and in cholecystolithiasis without common bile duct stones. The results of 520 consecutive retrograde cholangiographies were retrospectively analysed. The prevalence of juxtapapillary diverticula was higher in patients with biliary lithiasis than in patients without: 26.0% vs 10.5% (p less than 0.001). However, juxtapapillary diverticula were more frequently encountered in patients with choledocholithiasis than in those with gallbladder lithiasis or previous cholecystectomy and a stone-free common bile duct: 40.0% vs 10.2% (p less than 0.001). There was no significant difference between the patients with cholecystolithiasis alone and those without biliary lithiasis. Among the patients with previous cholecystectomy or with gallbladder lithiasis, common bile duct stones were more frequently found in patients with juxtapapillary diverticula than in those without: 80.3% vs 40.6% (p less than 0.001). These data suggest that juxtapapillary diverticula are associated only with choledocholithiasis and not with gallbladder lithiasis.